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A28 U.S. NEWS
Diamars 3 mei 2022

Push to arm Ukraine putting strain on US weapons stockpile

(AP) — The planes take nians inflict major damage
off almost daily from Do- on Russia’s larger and better-
ver Air Force Base in Del- equipped military. As a result,
aware — hulking C-17s the weapon has gained al-
loaded up with Javelins, most mythic regard, celebrat-
Stingers, howitzers and ed with a Javelin song and
other material being hus- images of Mary Magdalene
tled to Eastern Europe to carrying a Javelin becoming a
resupply Ukraine’s mili- meme in Ukraine.
tary in its fight against
Russia. Lockheed Martin CEO
James Taiclet said in a re-
The game-changing impact cent CNBC interview that
of those arms is exactly what demand for the Javelin and
President Joe Biden hopes to other weapon systems would
spotlight as he visits a Lock- increase broadly over time
heed Martin plant in Ala- because of the Russian inva-
bama on Tuesday that builds sion. He said the company
the portable Javelin anti-tank was working “to get our sup-
weapons that have played a ply chain ramped up.”
crucial role in Ukraine.
“We have the ability to meet
But Biden’s visit is also draw- has been limited in recent quickly approve his request isn’t just critical to making current production demands,
ing attention to a growing years. for an additional $33 billion more in America or lowering are investing in increased ca-
concern as the war drags in security and economic as- prices, it’s also a vital compo- pacity and are exploring ways
on: Can the U.S. sustain The Russian invasion offers sistance for Kyiv. nent of our national security,” to further increase produc-
the cadence of shipping vast the U.S. and European de- Psaki said. tion as needed,” Lockheed
amounts of arms to Ukraine fense industry a big oppor- The president is expected to Martin said in a statement.
while maintaining the healthy tunity to bolster profits as use his remarks to highlight Cancian, the former govern-
stockpile it may need if a new lawmakers from Washington the importance of the Jave- ment specialist on defense Pentagon officials recently
conflict erupts with North to Warsaw are primed to in- lins and other U.S. weaponry budget strategy, said the fact sat down with some of the
Korea, Iran or elsewhere? crease defense spending in in helping Ukraine’s military that Stingers and Javelins leading defense contractors,
response to Russian aggres- put up a vigorous fight as he were not included in the including Lockheed Martin,
The U.S. already has pro- sion. Defense contractors, makes the case to keep secu- most recent tranche of weap- Raytheon, Boeing, General
vided about 7,000 Javelins, however, face the same sup- rity and economic assistance ons the Biden administration Dynamics, BAE Systems and
including some that were de- ply chain and labor shortage flowing. announced it was sending to Northrop Grumman to dis-
livered during the Trump ad- challenges that other manu- Ukraine could be a sign that cuss efforts to ramp up pro-
ministration, about one-third facturers are facing, along A White House official, who Pentagon officials are mind- duction.
of its stockpile, to Ukraine, with some others that are was not authorized to com- ful about inventory as they The big defense contractors
according to an analysis by specific to the industry. ment publicly and requested conduct contingency plan- face some serious challenges.
Mark Cancian, a senior ad- anonymity, said the Penta- ning for other possible con-
viser with the Center for Military spending by the gon is working with defense flicts. Raytheon, for example, can’t
Strategic and International U.S. and around the world contractors “to evaluate the simply crank out Stingers
Studies international secu- was rising even before Rus- health of weapons systems’ “There’s no question that to replace the 1,400 that the
rity program. The Biden ad- sia’s Feb. 24 invasion. Biden’s production lines and ex- whatever war plan they’re U.S. sent to Ukraine. Hayes,
ministration says it has given proposed 2023 budget sought amine bottlenecks in every looking at there is risk associ- the Raytheon CEO, said in a
about 5,500 to Ukraine since $773 billion for the Penta- component and step of the ated with the depleting levels recent conference call with
the Russian invasion more gon, an annual increase of manufacturing process.” The of Stingers and Javelins, and analysts that the company has
than two months ago. about 4%. administration is also con- I’m sure that they’re having only limited supplies of com-
sidering a range of options, if that discussion at the Penta- ponents to make the missile.
Analysts also estimate that Globally, total military spend- needed, to boost production gon,” he said. Only one undisclosed coun-
the United States has sent ing rose 0.7% to more than of both Javelin and Stingers, try has been buying them in
about one-quarter of its $2 trillion for the first time the official said. The U.S. military effort to recent years, and the Penta-
stockpile of shoulder-fired in 2021, according to an April move weaponry to Eastern gon hasn’t bought any new
Stinger missiles to Ukraine. report from the Stockholm White House press secretary Europe for Ukraine’s fight ones in nearly 20 years.
Raytheon Technologies CEO International Peace Research Jen Psaki said Monday that has been Herculean. From
Greg Hayes told investors Institute. Russia ranked fifth, defense officials have de- Dover Air Base in Dela- Sanctions further complicate
last week during a quarterly as its spending on weapons termined that the weapons ware, U.S. airmen have car- the picture. Companies must
call that his company, which increased ahead of its inva- transfers have not impacted ried out nearly 70 missions find new sources of impor-
makes the weapons system, sion of Ukraine. military readiness. Still, the to deliver some 7 million tant raw materials such as ti-
wouldn’t be able to ramp up administration has included pounds of Javelins, Stingers, tanium, a crucial component
production until next year The war will mean increased funding in the Ukraine sup- 155mm howitzers, helmets in aerospace manufacturing
due to parts shortages. sales for some defense con- plemental bill Biden intro- and other essentials to East- that is produced in Russia.
tractors, including Raytheon, duced last week to replenish ern Europe since February.
“Could this be a problem? which makes the Stinger U.S. inventories of depleted Col. Matt Husemann, com- Concerns about the Stinger
The short answer is, ‘Prob- missiles Ukrainian troops weapon stockpiles. mander of the 436th Airlift stockpile have been raised
ably, yes,’” said Cancian, a have used to knock out Rus- Wing, described the mission by House Armed Services
retired Marine colonel and sian aircraft. The company Psaki added that Biden would as a “whole of government Committee chairman Rep.
former government specialist is also part of a joint venture also use the visit to the Jav- approach that’s delivering Adam Smith, D-Wash., and
on Pentagon budget strategy, with Lockheed Martin that elin plant to press Congress hope.” the top Republican on the
war funding and procure- makes the Javelins. to pass an innovation and committee, Rep. Mike Rog-
ment. competition bill to boost the “It is awesome,” said Huse- ers of Alabama. The two in
Biden will visit Lockheed semiconductor industry. mann, after providing AP March wrote to Defense
He said that Stingers and Jav- Martin’s facility in Troy, Ala., with a recent tour of the air- Secretary Lloyd Austin and
elins were where “we’re see- which has the capacity to “Each Javelin missile requires lift operation. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
ing the most significant in- manufacture about 2,100 Jav- more than 200 semiconduc- of Staff Mark Milley, describ-
ventory issues,” and produc- elins per year. The trip comes tors to make, and boosting The lightweight but lethal ing the stockpile issue as one
tion of both weapons systems as he presses Congress to domestic chip manufacturing Javelin has helped the Ukrai- of “urgency.”